Mapping the Passions: Toward a High-Dimensional Taxonomy of Emotional Experience and Expression

What would a comprehensive atlas of human emotions include? For 50 years, scientists have sought to map emotion-related experience, expression, physiology, and recognition in terms of the "basic six"-anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Claims about the relationships between these six emotions and prototypical facial configurations have provided the basis for a long-standing debate over the diagnostic value of expression (for review and latest installment in this debate, see Barrett et al., p. 1). Building on recent empirical findings and methodologies, we offer an alternative conceptual and methodological approach that reveals a richer taxonomy of emotion. Dozens of distinct varieties of emotion are reliably distinguished by language, evoked in distinct circumstances, and perceived in distinct expressions of the face, body, and voice. Traditional models-both the basic six and affective-circumplex model (valence and arousal)-capture a fraction of the systematic variability in emotional response. In contrast, emotion-related responses (e.g., the smile of embarrassment, triumphant postures, sympathetic vocalizations, blends of distinct expressions) can be explained by richer models of emotion. Given these developments, we discuss why tests of a basic-six model of emotion are not tests of the diagnostic value of facial expression more generally. Determining the full extent of what facial expressions can tell us, marginally and in conjunction with other behavioral and contextual cues, will require mapping the high-dimensional, continuous space of facial, bodily, and vocal signals onto richly multifaceted experiences using large-scale statistical modeling and machine-learning methods.

The recognition of 18 facial-bodily expressions across nine cultures

An enduring focus in the science of emotion is the question of which psychological states are signaled in expressive behavior. Based on empirical findings from previous studies, we created photographs of facial-bodily expressions of 18 states and presented these to participants in nine cultures. In a well-validated recognition paradigm, participants matched stories of causal antecedents to one of four expressions of the same valence. All 18 facial-bodily expressions were recognized at well above chance levels. We conclude by discussing the methodological shortcomings of our study and the conceptual implications of its findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

What Basic Emotion Theory Really Says for the Twenty-First Century Study of Emotion

Basic emotion theory (BET) has been, perhaps, the central narrative in the science of emotion. As Crivelli and Fridlund (J Nonverbal Behav 125:1-34, 2019, this issue) would have it, however, BET is ready to be put to rest, facing "last stands" and "fatal" empirical failures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Crivelli and Fridlund's outdated treatment of BET, narrow focus on facial expressions of six emotions, inattention to robust empirical literatures, and overreliance on singular "critical tests" of a multifaceted theory, undermine their critique and belie the considerable advances guided by basic emotion theory.

Emotional Expression: Advances in Basic Emotion Theory

In this article, we review recent developments in the study of emotional expression within a basic emotion framework. Dozens of new studies find that upwards of 20 emotions are signaled in multimodal and dynamic patterns of expressive behavior. Moving beyond word to stimulus matching paradigms, new studies are detailing the more nuanced and complex processes involved in emotion recognition and the structure of how people perceive emotional expression. Finally, we consider new studies documenting contextual influences upon emotion recognition. We conclude by extending these recent findings to questions about emotion-related physiology and the mammalian precursors of human emotion.

Loss of heterozygosity at the human RAP1A/Krev-1 locus is a rare event in colorectal tumors

Kirsten-ras-revertant-1 (Krev-1/Rap1A) is a recently identified tumor suppressor gene which induces flat revertants when introduced into a variety of ras-transformed cell lines in vitro. Since 47% of colorectal carcinomas have transforming mutations in ras protooncogenes, and since Krev-1 is expressed at high levels in normal colonic mucosa, we hypothesized that inactivation at the Krev-1 locus may be necessary for transformation of colonic cells. Loss of heterozygosity is a common method of inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in colorectal tumors. Therefore, we analyzed loss of heterozygosity in 52 patients with sporadic colorectal cancer. Because Krev-1 had no previously described polymorphisms, we first identified a BclI restriction fragment length polymorphism which showed 40% heterozygosity in 50 unrelated individuals. However, only one tumor from 18 informative patients showed allelic loss at the Krev-1 locus. This suggests that loss of heterozygosity is not a common mechanism of inactivation at the Krev-1 locus in colorectal cancer. However, the results do not exclude a role for Krev-1 in the etiology of this neoplasm because inactivation may occur by other mechanisms.

Oesophageal ruptures and perforations--a review

Oesophageal ruptures or tears carry a high mortality if they are not recognized and if therapy is delayed. This is so particularly for cases of spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus which carry a higher mortality and morbidity than do cases of iatrogenic injuries. With the widespread use of fibreoptic oesophagogastroscopy, which has been accompanied by the therapeutic manipulation of strictures and tumours, the number of iatrogenic perforations has increased substantially. We report our experience with 23 oesophageal perforations or ruptures that were seen over a 15-year period. The results of both the surgical and the conservative management of such lesions were excellent and were based on the clinical condition of the patient and on the extent of the extravasation of contrast media. Our results show that not all cases of oesophageal perforations require immediate surgical exploration and that the results of surgical treatment are excellent if the diagnosis is made early.

Enprostil and ranitidine: comparative efficacy and safety in patients with duodenal ulcer

This randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, multiclinic study of duodenal ulcer healing compared the efficacy and safety of enprostil with ranitidine. The six week trial admitted 164 patients with endoscopically demonstrated duodenal ulcer. Ratings of symptoms and adverse events were collated from patients' daily diaries, and endoscopy was repeated to verify healing after four weeks and, if appropriate, after six weeks. Medication used was enprostil (35 micrograms capsule) or ranitidine hydrochloride (150 mg tablet) with matching placebos twice daily. After six weeks, 81% of patients treated with enprostil and 95% of those treated with ranitidine had healed ulcers, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.007). There were no differences between treatment groups for the number of days until the daytime ulcer pain completely ceased. Night-time ulcer pain ceased significantly earlier in the group receiving ranitidine (p = 0.019) and was less severe during the week before the last visit (p = 0.001); daytime pain for ranitidine users was also less severe (p = 0.020) during this week. Mild to moderate adverse experiences were reported by 44% of enprostil and 35% of ranitidine patients. There were no severe adverse events. In conclusion, both enprostil and ranitidine were found to be safe and effective in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. However, the ranitidine regimen used in this trial produced better results than the enprostil regimen.

The influence of colonoscopy on the operative management of colorectal cancer

Total colonoscopy was used in the evaluation of 85 patients with colorectal cancer, either preoperatively or within six months of surgery. Synchronous lesions (six carcinomas, 22 adenomatous polyps, one villous adenoma and nine cases of severe diverticular disease) were detected in 38 (44.7%) patients. The planned surgical procedure was altered in 10 patients (11.8%)--a more extensive resection being performed in each case. In particular, five of the six cases of synchronous cancers were located in different surgical segments. Colonoscopy is a necessary prerequisite in the evaluation of patients with colorectal cancer.

Platelet function in patients receiving enprostil

The effect of 14 days of treatment with enprostil (35 micrograms twice daily) or ranitidine (150 mg twice daily) on platelet function in 21 patients with duodenal ulcer was evaluated in a double-bind, randomized, parallel study. Platelet function, as determined by the results of a coagulation screen, aggregation tests, and an assay for plasma beta-thromboglobulin levels, was assessed before and after 14 days of treatment. No effect on platelet function was observed with either drug in this group of patients.

Double-blind trial of cimetidine versus tri-potassium di-citrato bismuthate in chronic duodenal ulceration

Thirty-seven patients with chronic duodenal ulceration were entered into an endoscopically controlled trial of cimetidine (Tagamet) versus tri-potassium di-citrato bismuthate (De-Nol). At six weeks, 83% of patients taking cimetidine showed complete ulcer healing compared with 74% of patients taking tri-potassium di-citrato bismuthate. By ten weeks, the corresponding figures were 89% and 84% respectively. Symptomatic relief was similar in both treatment groups and, despite advice to the contrary, continued smoking and alcohol consumption did not appear to adversely affect healing. Both drugs appear to be equally effective in healing chronic duodenal ulcers.